By Kevin Williamson
Last season, multiple injuries allowed New Hampshire to steal the top spot in the America East Conference from 5 year champions, Northeastern.
Head coach Roy Coates, after weeks of training, is eager to face off against an array fresh competition in a new conference. Coates is confident that his team will once again establish themselves as a powerful team in its league.
While familiar teams such as Boston University, Boston College, University of Vermont, University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College still remain in the regular season lineup, Northeastern’s new conference, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) will offer an array of previously untouched opposition.
“We’re going in somewhat blind to the competition,” Coates said. “Based on the talent level [of our team] I’m shooting for top third or better in the conference.”
This confidence is shared among the team.
“We will be in the running for the top team among many,” captain Sarah Reddick said.
Reddick and senior teammate Emily Crookall-Nixon are optimistic as the team dives headlong into their batch of new opponents.
“Top three in the championships,” Crookall-Nixon said, “that would be ideal.”
The women square off against Old Dominion, Delaware, and William ‘ Mary during their two-day stay in North Carolina this November.
Along with these three teams, Northeastern will be introduced to Towson, UNC-Wilmington, James Madison, George Mason, Drexel, Delaware, and associate members College of Charleston and Davidson at the CAA Championships, held at George Mason in February.
While rivals UNH and BC should be close meets, Coates and his team predicts the invitational with Harvard and Kansas to be the biggest challenge of the season. Harvard ranks 25th in the country and Kansas comes in at 15th.
“We aren’t expecting to be anywhere near them,” Crookall-Nixon said.
Coates simply sees the dual meet as an opportunity to swim against some of the best competition in the country.
To achieve the top three spot for the season, Coates is looking toward many of his veteran swimmers and divers as well as some promising newcomers.
Reddick and Crookall-Nixon are expected to be major contributors this season.
“Definitely our best swimmers,” Coates said about the two.
Reddick will be defending her team MVP title as well as pushing her three individual school records (100-meter butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, and 100-meter freestyle) and three relay records (200-meter medley, 400-meter medley and 400-meter freestyle), while Crookall-Nixon is “amazingly constant” Coates said.
The team is carrying seven freshmen, four of which are Coates’ personal recruits (Elena Alvarez, Alexandra Doty, Monica Hubbard and Tara Thompson).
“The younger girls have already been leaders in practice,” Coates said. ‘I expect the same at meets.”
